Villains by Necessity (47 page)

A gauntlet held up three fingers. Sam said, "Three, yes, and there's one more at the far edge, looking out across the plain. You take the two closest, I'll get the others."

Sam pulled a length of stiff cord from the seams of his shirt, silently wishing for his blowgun, or a dagger, or even another dart. He slipped out into the shadows and a moment later heard Blackmail move as well.

The first guard was sitting facing away from Sam. Sam decided that a large rock by his feet would do as a weapon. He scooped it up and brought it down heavily on the man's head. The barbarian grunted and folded over. The other two inner guards got up and cautiously approached the nearby clanking sounds, their spears at the ready. As Sam crept up on the outermost guard, he heard a sound like weapons rebounding off invulnerable armor, and then a noise like two thick heads being knocked together, then a double thump. The Tantelopes snorted and began to move about.

Unfortunately, this was enough to attract his target's attention. The barbarian stood up, saw his companions missing, and shouted a warning. Sam was astounded at the roaring power of the man's voice. His sudden bellow not only brought answering shouts from the camp but %%%spooked the Tantelopes, who added their low, honking voices to the din. Sam saw the barbarian heading toward him and did not hesitate to lash out with the cord and quickly loop it around the barbarian's thick neck.

Sam was used to the lighter folk of the southern and western Six Lands, and this man's bull-thick neck was almost too broad for the cord. The barbarian roared and flipped the slight assassin over his head, slamming him into the dirt. Sam leapt up before the man could jump on him, and dodged a wild roundhouse swing. He brought his own hand up, blindingly fast, to slam with what should have been disabling force to the solar plexus. He might as well have tried to hit a stone wall. The barbarian didn't even grunt, just let loose a blow that caught Sam on the side of the head, sending him flying. The night exploded, and Sam experienced a brief sensation of weightlessness and numbness, then scrambled to his feet as the fire flowed into his blood ...

The barbarian approached; the fire danced in Sam's muscles and washed the pain and weariness away, drove away the concern for stealth, and replaced it with the double force of the urge to kill and the urge to survive.

The night became a red and black blur.

The next thing he noticed was a thundering of hooves.

The fence had been torn open, and Blackmail had found a long whip and was cracking it loudly. The panicked Tantelopes galloped out into the night, honking and wheeling into the darkness. Sam looked down at the still form of the barbarian he had fought. There was a large hole in the man's neck.

Well, he thought, Tirrik's Bite. And Miffer said I'd never master that attack. What would he say if he could see me now? And then, remembering how Miner was now an honest, good citizen, thought wryly, He'd probably vomit.

He had no chance to speculate further, because just then somebody hit him.

Kaylana had sent her mind sailing out into the night. The weather was clear and vast, no storms would be brewing for months, so a good bit of rain was out of the question.

%%%She paused to stir the soft, nervous minds of the Tantelopes in the pen, enhancing their natural fear and flight instincts. Then she moved on, out into the wilds, into the minds of a thousand living things. Her Druidic spirit could sail far along the winds of nature ... it was bringing it back that was the problem. This was similar to a magical spell of Seeking ... both required the caster to slip their spirits from their bodies, a dangerous and unnatural thing to do.

The Plains contained many minds, abounding in excess in the times of Light and life. She reached out with all her power, as far as she could, miles away, her arms opening up in a huge embrace, to gather them all... and then behind them, she placed Fear.

First one, then another, then more, began to run. As they ran, they gathered others, who did not know why they were running but only that they must run. Bound together by herd instinct and ancient fears, they ran.

She wanted to run with them, to let her mind fly free in the double feeling of pursuit and flight, to leave the poor, simple human shell behind her and ride forever on the wind of a thousand minds, minds that knew no good or evil but only the endless chains of life and death, linked for all eternity. She could see how easy it would be, to pull her spirit free of woman and staff and just be, a wild dancer on the winds of nature.

She had stretched herself far to call the animals, far out past where any mortal should go from their own self. It was not worth the trouble and pain to return ... but... her dim memories sang a warning, the slow twisting torque of a world slipping out of balance; the animals felt it, the grass knew it, the earth ached with it. And with regret she recalled, dimly, that it was her duty and trust to stop. She had no choice but to return, return and continue.

She left the minds running free as water and pulled herself back, slowly, painfully, her spirit crying and fighting as she forced it once again back into its prison of flesh.

As she did so, she had a sudden vision. Her mind, still open from its journey, sensed a force. The pool at the %%%center of the stone temple burned like a jewel in her mind.

It shone in endless threat but with irresistible attraction.

It dared her and seduced her and hypnotized her all at once.

As her spirit settled into her body, she opened her eyes: the image and challenge still hovered in her brain.

Around her she sensed motion, light, and shadows; the dim echoes of noise fluttered on her skin. But all seemed to have no more meaning than a world of ghosts; all that existed was the blue crystal pool. She walked forward, more awake than asleep, and the barbarians crowded around and past and by her, neither noticing the other.

Arcie heard the commotion begin, and sighed to himself in the shadows of yet another tent. "Och, I did fear as much," he said softly to himself. "No' more'n some few minutes before the place is falling about our ears." He scratched his curly head. "And none of yon hulking savages speaks the language ... no interrogation for me this day." He looked around. "I must have searched full all yon tents times over ... where might a load of leatherbound clodpolls keep foreign weapons?" He thought a moment, then sighed. "O' course. They would be giving them to their chief. And his tent will be yon great fancy one in the center. Surrounded by guards, I doubt not."

He settled his cap on his head and stood up, yawning.

The discovery of a food storage had provided a few good mouthfuls of some jerky and a good swig of Barigan whiskey from a hidden cask, but he could do with a good sit-down meal and another few days of sleep. His limbs ached from the long march. "Well, if that be the case, then 'tis a job for Sammy, not myself. I'd best be at finding him."

The short, pudgy shadow slipped off into the increasing chaos of the night.

Up on the hill, Valerie and Robin watched the Tantelopes wheel away into the plains, and then heard the commotion begin in the village. Valerie sighed and stood up.

"The fools can't do anything without creating a fuss," %%%she grumbled to herself. "Well, if distraction they want, then distraction they get."

"What are you going to do?" Robin asked nervously, shifting from one hoof to the other and swishing his tail.

Valerie treated him to a toothy smile, made somewhat worse by the few flecks of blood that still marred her lips from the gag.

"Wait and watch and learn, boy. And be sure you spell vengeance correctly in your ballad."

She drew her right hand back, while her left hand closed around her Darkportal amulet.. Her fingers flexed slightly, and a slow, swirling ball of darkness laced with glowing red began to form in her hand. It swelled into the size of an apple, and with a final bitter word of magic, the sorceress hurled it down into the camp.

It fell like a meteor, vanishing behind a tent. There was an explosive blast, and a gout of red-black flame bloomed up. The leather huts began to burn with a black, stinking smoke and sullen red flames, and the shouting and chaos increased.

"You might have hit one of your friends!" Robin exclaimed, watching in horror.

"They aren't my friends. And it should serve them right if they are stupid enough to get in the way," came the retort. Valerie was already spinning another flame- ball. This one she hurled away to the left of the first, nearer to the stone temple, and more evil fires started up.

The smoke, instead of rising into the sky, clung and stunk along the ground in heavy clouds and coils.

"I give you smoke, chaos, and panic, you incompetent rogues," Valerie hissed softly down to her unseen allies below. "Use them."

Kaylana was almost at the impact point of the second blast. It erupted before her, causing screams and panic and a searing blast of heat. She was dimly conscious of blue-robed figures flooding out of the temple, carrying things. They swarmed past her as she walked slowly on, her staff measuring her steps in gentle beats. Before her loomed the stone entryway into the temple area. It seemed to be set with murals, depicting a female shape in barbarian clothing... sometimes it seemed to be Ki'kartha, the Heroine, shining with the power of her goddess ... sometimes it seemed to be Mula herself, radiant and glorious in a blue nimbus of Light energy. Sometimes it seemed both ... or was it always both? Where was the break between deity and avatar? The entry drew her in, past two fidgeting temple guards who did not seem to see her.

She wandered through the open stone halls, her feet crunching on a path made of chipped granite sprinkled with turquoise. Priestesses and shamans shoved past her, heading out into the encampment to heal the wounded and extinguish the fires. Already steam filled the air from water-summoning magic cast by the worshipers of the goddess of fresh water and healing. Kaylana did not notice, but wove her way in through the spider's web of halls, following a summons she would not deny.

Sam managed to stagger back from his attacker and tried to recall the fire ... but his head was still spinning and he was still exhausted from the long march the day before.

His back hit a leather wall, and he scrabbled at it with his hands behind his back, trying to find a way in without taking his eyes off his attacker. The barbarian who had hit him was enraged at the death of his kinsman, and as he raised his huge Plainsman's sword, the assassin saw red flickers in the shafts of obsidian and wondered if he would survive to see the firelight on Kaylana's hair again.

Suddenly a hand grabbed the man's weapon from his hand and hit him smartly over the head with it, then smacked him powerfully on the side of his cheek. The barbarian fell, groaning. Only one person Sam knew was strong and tall enough to do that, and he stood up as Blackmail bowed graciously to him. Sam let out a faint sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Blackmail ... I owe you another one," he said with a faint smile. The knight made a dismissive gesture, %%%and then a shooing motion. Sam took the hint and fled into the shadows, and Blackmail grabbed a support pole from the tent Sam had rested against, and pulled it down. He hefted the Plainsman's sword thoughtfully, giving it a few practice swings, and then headed off purposefully into the confusion.

Creeping through the shadows and smoke, Sam almost bumped into Arcie before he saw him. They quickly ducked down in the shadows for a moment of silent rogue-speak.

"Weapons?" signed Sam.

"Leader/king house, maybe," Arcie replied wordlessly.

"Certain?"

"Nowhere else." Arcie shrugged. Sam sighed, and nodded.

"Lead."

The two rogues crept through the smoke and shadows.

Valerie's aim had been excellent The chiefs tent was in flames, and everywhere barbarians went running with buckets of water to try to extinguish the fire. A priestess of Mula had summoned a fountain of water similar to the one the shaman on their march had created, and this was helping somewhat. The main center tent seemed to be a lost cause, but two smaller adjoining were relatively undamaged, and both were guarded. Sam motioned: "You left, I right." They split up, heading for the side rooms.

Sam sneaked around the right building, avoiding the eyes of the guard, and crept through a smoldering corner of the tent. Within were stacks of fine furs, some casks, and, their weapons. Sam hastily rearmed himself, then, slinging Blackmail's sword onto his back and wielding Robin's longsword, he grabbed Arcie's morning star in his off hand and crept out again. As he did so, he looked at the casks and raised an eyebrow. No wonder the Plainsmen were working so hard to keep this tent from going up in flames.

He made his way to the far side of the center of confusion, and soon found Arcie lighting his pipe from a smoldering shelter. The Barigan winked at him as he accepted his morning star back.

"What was in the other tent?" Sam asked curiously.

Arcie leered.

"Chiefs harem," he answered. "Och! What a fine set of...

"Later, Arcie. Come on, we've got to find Kaylana."

Kaylana walked through the last archway, the most elaborately carved and decorated yet. Here, along with the ever-present turquoise, were set blue topaz and aquamarine stones. She scarcely noticed, however, for before her was the blue pool, glowing bright as the moon and seeming almost as large. There was no one around. She walked up to the edge and stopped. Before her, across the glass-still water, rose the statue of the Goddess Mula, illuminated by the blue light of the pool.

The blue light of the pool seemed to draw her even closer. She looked up, unsure, and into the eyes of the statue. They were two perfect star sapphires, and the sixpointed stars in them seemed real. The blue starlight reflected back in the green depths of the Druid's eyes, back and forth, back and forth, into a flowing, weaving world of aquamarine, and the pool's light grew and grew until it was a pulsing azure sun ... 1» Up on the hill, Valerie saw it, and pointed, grabbing Robin's arm.

"Look!" she hissed. "What is the fool tree-wench up to now? That blue light is going to have every barbarian in the place down around her head!"